New Delhi
13 November 2009
The United States indicated it would make no significant emissions reduction
commitments to tackle global warming at the climate change talks in Copenhagen next
month.
"We have a Bill (on climate change) which has been passed by the Congress [but] is yet
to be approved by the Senate," US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said replying to a query
on whether the US would undertake any firm commitments at Copenhagen.
He was referring to the Kerry-Boxer legislation which aims to cut fossil-fuel emissions to
17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 per cent in 2050.
He said the US did not want a repeat of the Kyoto Protocol when it signed international
climate agreement negotiated in part by then US Vice President Al Gore, which was later
rejected by the Senate.
"We have to make sure that history does not repeat itself. We have to get clearance from
the Senate," he said during an interaction at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here
Friday after delivering a speech on "Meeting the Energy and Climate Challenge."
Meanwhile, France warned that failure of the Copenhagen conference can prove to be a
"disaster".
"Everybody around the world claims that Copenhagen is in danger and it is going to be a
failure, which, of course, will be a disaster and would trigger off a period of blame game
between nations," visiting French minister of ecology, energy and sustainable
development minister Jean-Louis Borloo told a news conference here.
On New Delhi's role at the Copenhagen Conference, he said: "Voice of India will be
decisive to get away from all the arguments and negotiations and starting work for a
positive and shared project."
France has proposed a Climate Justice Plan, which divides nations into three categories
on basis of carbon emissions.
Borloo delivered a letter from French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Copenhagen
Conference in December to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
During his two-day visit, Borloo held meetings with Minister of State of Environment
Jairam Ramesh, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and
Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Climate Change Shyam Saran.
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